The invention relates generally to tools and techniques for creating a representation of an assembly. More specifically, the invention relates to a system and method (collectively “drawing system” or simply the “system”) for automatically creating a drawing, model or other representation (collectively “representation”) of an assembly from a list of components, such as parts and/or subassemblies.
The use of Computer Aided Design (“CAD”) techniques and other design tools (collectively “CAD tools”) is widespread. Engineers in a wide variety of different manufacturing and other industries utilize CAD tools to design assemblies. Product designs of assemblies are typically generated using CAD tools, regardless of whether the assembly is an airplane, an automobile, a dishwasher, industrial equipment, or any other type of engineered or manufactured product. When it is necessary for design information to be exchanged between employees in the same company, or between employees of different companies, such as between a supplier and an original equipment manufacturer (“OEM”) or other manufacturer, the design is often in the form of a CAD drawing or some other form of electronic or virtual representation or model (collectively “CAD drawing”).
Despite the importance of CAD drawings, effective tools do not exist to create new CAD drawings for new designs. Engineers, designers, and draft persons (collectively “designers”) are often literally forced to reinvent the wheel. Reinventing the wheel is an inefficient use of time, money, and expertise. The best existing technique for creating a CAD drawing in a rapid and yet accurate manner requires the finding of similar CAD drawing, and using that drawing as a starting point for the new CAD drawing. Such a technique becomes increasingly ineffective as the assemblies increase in complexity. Moreover, two assemblies that are similar with respect to function, can be made of significantly different component parts and subassemblies or can even incorporate vastly different internal structures. Furthermore, such a process is not automated, requiring the designer to locate a suitable template, and then go about the process of building the alternative design.
It would be desirable for a system to facilitate the creation of an assembly representation from a list of components. However, the prior art does not disclose such a system. To the extent that the existing art even seeks,to address the need for an automated drawing system, those existing approaches embrace a top-down “template-based” approach rather than a bottom-up “component-based” approach. Thus, the prior art affirmatively teaches away from the system and method disclosed below.